Picture frame



No. 623,253. Patented Apr. l8, I899.

4 E. MCDONALD.

PICTURE FRAME.

(Applicgtion filed Jan. 13, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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EDIVARD MCDONALD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PICTURE-FRAME SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 623,253, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed January 13,1899- Serial No. 702,020. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD MCDONALD,

V of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture Frames, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to picture-frames, and has for its object to produce a simple and inexpensive frame adapted for the reception of anumber of pictures, and more particularly photographs, being so constructed asto permit of the ready removal and replacing of the pictures and being capable of ornamentation or decoration in such a manner as to produce a maximum effect at a minimum expense.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe, and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a face view or elevation of a frame embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa sectional view of the same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear view with a portion of the retaining-piece or back broken away to show the underlying construction. Fig. 4 is an end elevation, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view.

In constructing my improved frame I em ploy as the base or body thereof a mat 10, which is made of pressed paper-pulp, papiermach, or the like, which may be readily pressed or molded into shape and provided on its outer or front face with suitable raised decorative figuresas, for instance, the pearled border indicated at 11.. This base is adapted to be ornamented by printing,-painting, or otherwise, and its surface may be made to imitate various kinds of wood, if desired. The base may also be made of other material than that specified-such, for instance, as woodalthough I prefer on the ground of cheapness and durability, together with facility of surface and relief ornamentation, to construct it, as hereinbefore stated, of paperpulp or the like.- A plurality of openings (indicated by the reference numeral 12) are formed through this base or body, and in the present instance I have shown four such sightopenings, the frame being adapted for the display of four pictures. Upon the back or unornamented face of the body 11 are secured,

the guide-strips 13 and 14, the one near the upper edge of the base and the latter near the lower edge, the two strips being arranged parallel to each other and being grooved at their inner or opposite faces, as indicated at 15. The guide-strips 13 and 14 are connected at one end by means of a similarlygrooved strip 16. which forms a stop for the sliding back or retaining-piece, while at their other ends said strips have located between them a strip 17, which is of such a thickness that its upper surface lies about flush with the front walls of the grooves 15. Between each pair of openings 12 there is secured to the back of the base 11 a spacing-strip 18 of a thickness about equal to that of the strip 17, or, in other words, of such a thickness as to cause it to lie about flush with the front walls of the grooves 15, and along the lower margin of theframe, above the lower guide-strip 14, is located a longitudinal spacing-strip 19 of less thickness and extending the length of the guide-strip 14 and slightly above the same, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In the rec- 'tangular spaces thus formed between the strips 18, the terminal strips 16 and 17, and the space-strip 19 and guide-strip 13 are placed a plurality of glass plates 20, corresponding in size to said rectangular spaces and held in position against lateral or edgewise motion by the surrounding strips. The several strips (numbered 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 19) may be conveniently secured to the base or body 10 by gluing them into position, which forms an inexpensive and simple method of constructing the frame, although other means may be employed for this purpose. The strip 19 is preferably of less thickness than the strips 17 and 18, for the reasons hereinafter set forth.

21 indicates the sliding back or cover,which may be made of paper-board, wood, or other suitable material and which is provided on its outer face with a strip 22, by means of which it may be conveniently grasped, said back or retaining-piece sliding in the grooves 15 and being held in position thereby when in place.

A number of photographs 23,corresponding to the number of apertures 12, may be placed within the frame when the retaining-piece or back 21 is removed therefrom. Each photograph will be held from lateral motion by the retaining-strips 18, the end ones being also held in this direction by the strip 16 or the strip 17 as the case may be. The photographs arealso prevented from moving longitudinally or up and down by the guidestrips 13 and 14. The strip 19 serves to form a space at the bottom of the picture of such size as to accommodate the lower portion of a photographic card-mount and hold the photograph in such a position that While the .photograph proper is visible through the sightopening the advertisement usually appearing on the lower part of the card-mount is covered and concealed by the frame, the picture being at the same time properly centered or brought into position relatively to the sightopening. The employment of the strip 19 also. enables me to employ glass plates of a smaller size, since said plates do not need to extend to the lower guide-strip let in order to be properly centered in position, and at the same time a space is provided for the lower part of the card-mount, so that this latter will not show through the sight-opening.

The frame thus constructed may be produced at a relatively slight expense, is very durable and may be employed for the display of a plurality or series of pictures, andis so constructed that the pictures may be readily ings, a longitudinal spacing-strip located I above the lower guide-strip, vertical spacingstrips extending from said longitudinal spacing-strip to the upper guide strip, said verti cal strips being of less thickness than the distance of the grooves from the back of the body and said longitudinal strip being of less thickness than the vertical strips, glass plates mounted in the rectangular spaces thus formed, and a back or retaining-piece slidably mounted in the guide-strips, substan* tially as described.

3. A picture-frame comprising a flat body of paper-pulp, or the like, having sight-open ings therethrough, strips secured to the back thereof by gluing, or the like, and comprising longitudinally grooved guide-strips, a longitudinal spacing-strip and vertical spacin g-strips having the relative thickness specified, a plurality of glass plates held and centered in the rectangular spaces thus formed by said strips, and a back or retaining-piece slidably mounted in the grooved guide-strips, substantially as described.

EDWARD MCDONALD.

\Vitnesses:

FREDERICK C. Goonwm, IRVINE MILLER. 

